AS Porta Fortuna crossed the line to win the recent Coronation Stakes, Donnacha O’Brien joined an illustrious list of Irish trainers to win this venerable Royal Ascot race.

For those of a certain vintage, one notable previous Irish winner was the Michael Kauntze-trained Kooyonga in 1991. Such memories were more poignant this year following the news that Michael’s daughter, Sophia, lost her battle with cancer on April 24th at age 49.

A loyal and warm friend with a wicked sense of humour and a searing intellect, Sophia Johnston (née Kauntze) was born into horses and racing. Her father had joined Vincent O’Brien as an assistant and in October 1970, Michael was introduced to Eva Dreaper at a party at Ballysheehan. They wed six months later.

It must have suited all concerned when Michael took out his own training licence and set up at Bullstown, near to Eva’s family home at Greenogue where Eva’s father Tom Dreaper had trained Prince Regent, Flyingbolt, Fortria, and of course, Arkle.

Michael and Eva had two daughters, Sophia, and then Nina who was younger by six years. The age gap between the two girls was considerable in the formative years, and for Nina, Sophia was the big sister who could do anything. Sophia reciprocated with love and understanding, always ensuring that younger Nina was supported and encouraged, and the two girls developed a strong bond.

St Trinians-esque

Sophia’s role as pathfinder met its first real test when she was dispatched as a young girl to Downe House, a private girls’ school near Newbury. A very traditional English boarding school, it must have been quite the shock for the young country lass. She soon earned the nickname, “Rat”, no doubt as an unkind reference to her pretty but angular features. Rather than balking at such a jibe, she embraced this new moniker with gusto.

It took all the efforts of Head Girl, Claire Balding, to stop Sophia turning Downe House into a branch of St Trinian’s. It turns out that the promise of opportunities to ride out at Kingsclere was a more than adequate bribe. The now tamed Irish girl excelled both academically and at games, making a list of lifelong friends, most notably Emma Drew. Downe House could be assured that it would again “turn out delightful, principled, courteous and able girls who go on to make a significant contribution to the world”.

In Sophia’s case, this first significant contribution was to come on the racecourse. Delaying no time to follow the family tradition, she commenced her race riding career at the age of 16. Her first outing was on Orembo, a horse trained by her father, in a ladies’ race at Leopardstown. Finishing a creditable fifth that day, Sophia would ride her first winner just four days later. This time in a ladies’ race at Tralee, where she rode the aptly named Killarney Ring, owned by Major Victor McCalmont. It was not to be her last.

Rising to the challenge

Over a six-year riding career totalling 48 opportunities, Sophia scored seven wins on the flat and five under the other code, including four hurdle races. She became a highly popular figure in the weighroom and was good friends with Frances Smullen and Niamh Cashman. Summer festivals would invariably see her leading the charge, willingly aided by a wide crew including Claire O’Connell, Nicola Roden and David Gaskin.

Kooyonga’s wins in 1991 saw her named European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and marked a purple period for her trainer. However, the stress of training at the top level was to take its toll in a most dramatic way when Michael underwent emergency heart surgery in 1994, followed by a protracted convalescence.

Determined that her father’s loyal owners would not be left in the lurch, Sophia stepped forward as acting trainer. She was just 20 years of age, and over the following year juggled her engineering degree at Trinity College Dublin, with race planning, farm management and detailed updates with a long list of high-profile owners including Sheikh Mohammed.

Following her father’s decision to retire in 1996, Sophia used her first-class degree to leverage a move to London, first joining the engineering firm Arup. Determined to maintain her equine connection she asked her housemate, Min Bovil, if she could recommend good value livery. And so, Sophia was introduced to Iona and Beanie Hughes, Hamish and Emily Campbell, and a long list of Gloucestershire locals who would become firm friends.

Sophia made the best of her time with Arup, even joining the team on a goodwill expedition helping Raleigh International install clean water facilities in Borneo. However, her horsey habits were not compatible with the salary of a junior engineer. It came as no surprise when she parlayed her maths skills towards a career in banking, joining Dresdner Kleinwort in 1999.

Work hard, play hard

With fewer financial constraints, Sophia epitomised the work hard, play hard city maxim. Long Sunday lunches in the Imperial Pub with Amber O’Grady in Fulham, culminating with riding close finishes on wheelie bins was typical behaviour, though it could never be called antisocial. If it was summer, Sophia was invariably at a high-profile race meeting or enjoying sunny breaks with girlfriends.

In the winter, it was days out with the Heythrop on her hunter, Up Up and Away. Uppers, as he was affectionately known, had previously been owned by Ken Rohan and trained by Michael. He had won at the Curragh as a three-year-old, but he’s happiest days were undoubtedly with Sophia in the Cotswolds.

Sophia’s career as a debt analyst must have looked somewhat in jeopardy as the world grappled with the Global Financial Crisis in 2007, however it was a time when the world needed smart people more than ever and Sophia was appointed a Director at Citibank. The following year her life changed gear when she became engaged to Nicholas Johnston.

A fellow banker, Nick was originally from Edinburgh. His father, Alan, was a court judge who sadly passed away the year before his son’s marriage in May 2009 at Chelsea Old Church. Nick and Sophia made a wonderful couple, professional and erudite, but always kind and considerate. Winters in Chipping Norton soon gave way to cosy weekends at Nick’s Borders retreat, and the family grew.

Final chapters

Perhaps as a portent of her untimely departure, Sophia took the decision to cease work in 2016, having moved to the debt team at Legal & General, so that she could focus more on the family. Their first daughter, Eloise, had been joined by a second, Alannah and Sophia embraced motherhood with all of the passion and determination that hallmarked her life.

She was an enthusiast of the National Childbirth Trust, a charity that supports people as they become parents. In the years that followed, she was also a prominent voice on the parents’ group at the girls’ prep school. All the time, being a great comfort to both her parents and her mother-in-law, Anthea.

Sophia was diagnosed with breast cancer in the autumn of 2021. For kicks, she was studying to be a Master of Wine at this time but had to give up such ambitions when chemotherapy made everything taste of metal. Through it all, she never allowed the condition to define her.

She read widely on the subject, and consultants knew to be on their game when discussing the next treatment option with Sophia. As the prognosis grew more bleak, and the unavoidable reality came to be, Sophia grasped the opportunity to implant lifelong happy memories on her beloved daughters, including a last family holiday at Sani near Thessaloniki six months before she died.

Sophia was loyal and generous to her ever-growing circle of friends. She was always interesting, but maybe more importantly, she was always interested. She could talk with anyone from anywhere, could always learn something new, and could always find common ground. Sophia may be gone too soon, but not too soon to make a long and lasting impression. Go on you good thing!

Sophia Johnston (May 14th 1974 - April 24th 2024) is survived by her husband Nicholas Johnston and their daughters, Eloise and Alannah.

J.O’G.